Friends in my Heart
by Princess of Radiance
Summary: For Xembra. Sora dreams, and Sora meets new friends.


Xembra, my wifey, this is for you 3

It was originally going to be a VanVen fluff, but mutated into this. I know you like all the Sora Heart Hotel crew, so...enjoy! Love you!

* * *

Sora was dreaming.

Now, the first couple of dreams were normal enough Sora-dreams, involving ice cream, giant pink mice, Wonderland, a big chocolate keyblade, Kairi and Riku in hula skirts (which was cute and creepy at the same time), and various other strange things.

But then he blinked, and he was in a different place.

It was wide-open, and bright, as if lit by a million lanterns. But it was a warm brightness, not a painful looking-at-the-sun brightness. The brightness surrounded him, stretching out endlessly on all sides and above him. Below his bare feet was a large stained-glass panel- he only noticed it when he realized his feet were cold- that held a picture of himself and Roxas, side by side.

"Is this…my heart?"

A laugh behind him. "What else would it be, Sora?"

Sora turned around. Roxas stood there, smiling, his arms crossed.

"Hey, Other."

Sora grinned back. "Hi, Roxas."

His Nobody walked over. "So how are things out there?"

Sora made a face. "I forgot how much I didn't like school."

"Oh, yeah. You had to go back, didn't you?"

"Yeah. I'm really lucky my parents and Riku's mom managed to convince the principal we weren't crazy delinquents and let us come back." He laughed. "Heck, I'm just glad our parents believed us!"

"Well, they did forget you for a year."

"Which freaked my mom out big-time. But anyways, school. Ugh."

"I'm surprised you don't like school."

"Really? Well, Kairi's the school-person. She's really smart. Me and Riku are lucky we get Bs and As."

"That's what you get for world-hopping for like, two years."

"Hey, I saved the worlds- twice! I should get extra-credit."

Roxas laughed. "So do you like any of your classes, or is it a general 'ew school'?"

"Well, history is cool. And I'm really good at gym, but then that's kind of obvious. Kairi made me take art with her this year, and that's actually fun…but I really hate math."

"Ouch, math."

"Hey, you could help."

"Me? Math? Sora, what do you think they taught me in the Organization? Calculus?"

They both laughed, and Sora sighed. "It's hard getting used to be normal again. At least the three of us are together."

Roxas smiled. "Yeah, and I get to see Naminé all the time."

"Oh, yeah, how is she?"

"She's good. She told me Kairi takes art, and she's really happy about that."

"Well, Kairi's good at it. That must be why Naminé is so good, too."

Roxas grinned. "Better than you, apparently, Mr. Stick Figures."

"Hey! I can too draw!"

They shared another laugh, but stopped short when they heard a third voice join them.

"Who was that?"

_Me. I'm over here.  
_

The two looked around. Sora was the one who spotted it. A small pathway, just a tendril of light paler than the rest, trailed off into the distance.

"There!" He pointed, and the two followed it.

The pathway led them to another glass floor, this one also wit what looked like Sora and Roxas on it, but facing each other. A closer look, though, made it clear it wasn't them- the Sora was black-haired, and dressed like Riku had when he was in Darkness, and the Roxas was wearing strange armor, and held his Keyblade backwards.

"Who are they?"

_Well, I'm Ventus, but you can call me Ven.  
_

"Ven?"

A figure appeared out from the light to the side, and the not-Roxas stepped forwards, smiling.

"Yep, that's me. Hi Sora, it's nice to finally meet you face to face."

Roxas blinked. "You look like me."

"No, _you_ look like _me._ I was here first."

Roxas frowned. "You were?"

"Yeah, I've been here since Sora was little."

Sora gasped. "Oh, yeah! The sad voice! That was you, Ven?"

Ven grinned. "Yeah, that was me. Thank you, Sora. You really saved me."

Sora laughed. "No problem, Ven. I'm glad I could help."

Roxas smiled a little. "Yeah, it explains why I look like you, then."

Ven nodded. "Yeah. My heart influenced you, I guess. It's also how you kept the Keyblade."

"Kept?"

Ven looked over at Sora. "Mmhmm. Y'see, Riku was the one with the Keyblade. But when he fell to Darkness, it went to you instead. It was because of my heart you got to keep it after it went back to Riku."

Sora looked surprised. "How did Riku get the Keyblade?"

Ven loked away, almost sadly. "My best friend gave it to him."

Sora crossed his arms thoughtfully. "Hmmm. I remember some weird people coming to the island a couple days before you joined my heart. There was a pretty girl watched us for a bit and looked real sad, and then told me to watch over Riku…and some tall guy who talked to Riku in private for a bit."

"That was Aqua and Terra…my friends."

Sora laughed. "So that Terra guy gave Riku the Keyblade? _That's_ what he wouldn't tell me!"

Ven smiled. "I bet Terra was going to take Riku as an Apprentice. He probably would have, too, if…"

He trailed off, sad again.

"If? Something happened?"

"Yeah. But I'll tell you about it later. I have a feeling something big is going to happen soon, and I'll tell you then."

"Okay."

_Hey, hey, Ventus! You haven't introduced me! I'm insulted.  
_

All three jumped. Ven frowned.

"Vanitas, go away. If you're gonna be rude, you're gonna stay locked up in my heart."

"Vanitas?"

Ven looked over at Roxas and nodded. "Yeah. He's the Darkness in my heart, that someone took out and made into a person. I lost my heart when I took him back in, 'cause we were fighting over it."

_Yeah, we all know I would have won if it weren't for Aqua.  
_

"No, you totally wouldn't. I beat you."

_Since when? You're imagining it, I so beat you.  
_

"Did not. You cheated."

Sora laughed. "It sounds kind of like me and Roxas, only ruder."

_Yeah, but I'm the better looking one.  
_

"Vanitas!"

The four boys shared a laugh. They sat in Ven's heart, chatting for a while, when suddenly Vanitas paused.

_Hey…there's someone else here. I just noticed.  
_

"Someone else? Who?"

_I dunno, it isn't my heart. They're in a small part of it, kind of fuzzy. Want me to drag 'em out?  
_

"I don't think I trust you in my heart, Vanitas," Sora said.

_Aw, I promise I won't break anything.  
_

"Vanitas…"

_Okay, okay. So who's gonna get 'em then?  
_

Roxas stood up. "I'll go."

He ran back across the pathway and disappeared. Several minutes later, he came back, a huge grin on his face. Trailing behind him was a girl, kind of fuzzy around the edges, with short black hair and a nervous smile.

"Guys, this is Xion."

"Xion?"

She smiled at Sora. "Hi, Sora. It's really great to meet you…"

Sora smiled back. "Nice to meet you too, Xion. Who are you, exactly?"

She giggled quietly and sat with the other boys. "I'm a Replica. The Organization made me out of your memories of Kairi, when Naminé was fixing you after Castle Oblivion. They wanted me as a back-up in case Roxas messed up. But I was kind of unstable, and me having your memories was hurting Roxas and keeping you from waking up, so I let Naminé put me back…even though everyone would forget I existed."

She smiled at Roxas. "I guess Naminé didn't realize that 'cause both me and Roxas were connected to you, some little part of him would remember me, and that was what kept me from fading away completely."

Sora smiled. "Well, I'm really glad Roxas remembered you."

Xion blushed. "Thanks, Sora…"

Ven looked a little confused. "Organization? Who are they? I don't really have much of Sora's memories, just tiny bits and pieces."

Roxas tapped his chest. "Nobodies. People without hearts, like me. Well, like I was. 'Cause I'm Sora's Nobody, and I'm back in his heart. The other Nobodies were bad people, and Sora beat them all."

"Except Axel, he wasn't a bad guy," corrected Xion.

"Nah, but he doesn't count."

_Oh, hey. Don't mind me, Sora, just sneaking a peek at your memories, but I spy a Xehanort.  
_

Ven looked shocked. "He's still around?"

Sora sighed. "Yeah, and he keeps coming back. He's the big bad guy that wants-"

"Kingdom Hearts, I know. I fought him too, me and Terra and Aqua. He's the one that made Vanitas, and I _know_ he did something to Terra."

_Oh, totally. His big master Terra-plan was a success. He got the big lug's body just like he wanted.  
_

"What?"

Sora, Roxas, and Xion all exchanged worried looks.

"So the Xehanort and Xemnas and stuff we knew was Terra?"

_Not Terra, just his body. Xehanort stole it. Y'know, cause boss-man was getting old, and he was worried he wouldn't be around for the fireworks when his plan succeeded. So he took Terra's body, 'cause Terra was the easiest to sway to Darkness.  
_

Ven growled. "I'm gonna kick his ass."

Sora smiled. "Don't worry, we all will. You have my word me and Riku and Kairi will get Terra back and find Aqua."

Ven grinned. "Thanks, Sora."

_Oh, wow, and Braig's here, too. Or Xigbar, or whatever nonsense he's calling himself.  
_

Roxas groaned. "Oh, man, don't remind me of him. He was annoying. I swear, if he called me kiddo one more time I would have kicked his ass."

Xion giggled. "I did! I fought him in Wonderland, before I went to Naminé. It was funny; I got him in the face and everything. You're welcome, Roxas."

Roxas laughed. "Score one for 'poppet'!"

Xion bowed. "It was weird, though. I know some people saw me as Kairi or Naminé, or a blank doll, but I think Xigbar saw me as someone else. He said something like 'why do you always glare at me like that'…I never glared at him before, I don't think."

Ven raised his hand. "I did. Stupid jerk was badmouthing Terra."

_He had every right to, you know. Terra did Dark Firaga his eye out.  
_

Roxas and Xion laughed. "Good going, Terra!"

Sora blinked. "Ohhh. He said he'd met other Keybearers. He was talking about you three."

_Yup.  
_

"Yup."

Sora stretched, and felt himself waking up.

"Oh, man…I'm waking up. That sucks."

Roxas shrugged. "Hey, it's not like we're going anywhere."

"Yeah," Sora laughed. "It's like I have a big hotel in my heart."

The five kids shared one last laugh, and Sora watched his heart fade out of view.

"See you later, guys!"

Ven waved. "Bye, Sora! Good luck, I have a feeling you're going to need it!"

Sora waved back, and blinked.

His bedroom slowly came back into view, plastic stars on the ceiling and curtains blowing in the morning breeze.

And a message in a bottle, sitting innocently in the middle of the floor, a familiar green insignia sealing it.

"Well, it looks like I'll need that luck, after all."


End file.
